Inking mechanism for rotary printing presses



Aug. 14, 1951 R. F. ABERLE 2,554,590

INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Original Filed Sept. 20, 1946 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 17%! fizz eiztar 0 EAR/-19 7 W Aug. 14, 1951 R. F. ABERLE 2,564,590

INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES 7 Original Filed Sept. 20, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 14, 1951 R. F. ABERLE 2,564,590

INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Original Filed Sept. 20, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 frafleizfor Ha I. 'Afierle jymy Aug. 14, 1951 R. F. ABERLE INKING'MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Sept. 20, 1946 fizz 270%;-

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Patented Aug. 14, 1951 INKING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING PRESSES Roy F. Aberle, Portland, Maine, assignor to Southworth Machine Maine, a corporation of Original application Se Company, Portland, Maine ptember 20, 1946, Serial No. 698,252. Divided and this application April 9, 1948, Serial No. 20,086. In Canada September 18, 1947 3 Claims.

This invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to sheet-fed, lithographic, offset presses of the kind illustrated in my co-pending application Serial No. 698,252, filed September 20, 1946 which has matured to Patent No. 2,542,073, granted February 20, 1951 of which this application is a division.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide improved inking mechanism for the press and for the drive for this mechanism and further to improve these mechanisms in such manner as to permit better access to the inner portions of the press such as the main cylinder, and the ink form rolls.

Further objects of the invention and features of improvement will be apparent from this specification and its drawings wherein the invention is explained, by way of example, by the description of a specific mechanism embodying the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the main rolls of the press; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the upper part of the press showing the upper movable frame of the press raised to give access to normally inaccessible parts;

Fig. 3 is a detail of a portion of mechanism for raising and lowering the upper movable frame of the press;

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly broken away and partly diagrammatic, showing the form rolls for the main cylinder and mechanism for controlling the operation of these form rolls;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the control mechanism of Fig. 4, viewed from the left side;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the hanger for one of the form rolls and portions of this form roll, the cooperating distributor roll, the upper movable frame and the upper stationary frame;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line l'! of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showing the supplemental cylinder and the mounting for its associated form roll and transfer roll, and also showing mechanism for holding this form roll in an inactive position; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view showing the form roll for the supplemental cylinder.

The general construction of the machine is described in my Patent 2,542,073 t which reference may be had for the details of its operation.

As herein illustrated (Fig. 1) the main frame of the press includes opposite interconnected side plate sections 25 which are preferably flanged as at 25 at their lateral margins, the flanges serving to cover and protect various gears, chains, bearmas and control mechanisms that are located adjacent to the two side plates 25.

Sheets fed successively by feeding mechanism such as that of my patent 2,497,849 enter the machine from the right as shown in Fig. 1, are temporarily stopped laterally aligned and are then gripped by gripper fingers 32, on a gripper bar 33 carried by chains I and advanced to a printing couple. The course of chains I80 is indicated in Fig. 1.

The sheet is carried by the traveling gripper bar 33 to and partly around a rubber covered offset cylinder 40, the offset cylinder having a recess adapted to receive the gripper bar.

As shown in Fig. 1 offset cylinder 40 cooperate's with a main cylinder indicated generally at 42. Main cylinder 42 comprises opposite end portions 42 mounted on a shaft I66, a lithographic plate holder segment 43 having hub portions 43 also mounted on the shaft I66, and an interchangeable impression segment 44 detachably secured to the opposite end portions 42. Depending upon the character of the work being done, impression segments having surfaces of various materials may be used as more fully described hereinafter.

As explained in the above patents, a lithographic plate on segment 43 offsets an image onto the offset cylinder 40, the sheet is then carried in between the offset cylinder and the impression segment 44 of the main cylinder, which results in the image being printed from the offset cylinder 40 onto the lower surface of the sheet.

The timing and arrangement of the main and offset cylinders and the feeding mechanism, paper stop fingers, and gripper bar 33 is such that a sheet to be printed is presented to the nip between the offset and main cylinders at each revolution of the main cylinder, or in other words, at each second revolution of the offset cylinder.

The main cylinder 42 is provided with platedampening mechanism indicaled generally at 50 and plate-inking mechanism indicated generally at 55 so as first to dampen the waterreceptive blank portions of the lithographic plate and then to ink the ink-receptive imagecarrying portions during the time that the impression surface 44 is cooperating with the offset cylinder 40. Further rotation of the main cylinder then brings the dampened and inked lithographic plate on segment 43 into position to offset its inked image onto the rubber surface of the offset cylinder 40.

A supplemental r011 60, for instance carrying a rubber plate having raised letters, is arranged to offset onto the otherwise blank surface of the impression segment 44 of the main cylinder. The image'thfis" transferred to the iiflpiessiofi surface 44 is then printed onto the upper surface of the sheet simultaneously with the printing onto the lower surface of the sheet by offset cylinder 40. m H N 7 Leaving the nip between the ofiset cylinder 49 and the impression segment 44, the printed sheet is released by the grippers df bar 39' and simultaneously gripped by a circularly moving second set of grippers which move around axis N, (Fig. 1), and at the end of an approximate:

ly 90 circular travel release the sheet and trans: fer it to third grippers are carries by chains I42 in a generall triangular path, as shown in Fig. 1. V

On the first or downwardly inclined portion of n this triangular path away from the offset cylinder, the sheet be subjected to a further printing operation. Mechanism for such furtlirpriri'ting preferably comprises, one or more rotating serial numberin inliisand cooperating platen rolls between the" sheet ca"'ed that the sheet is numbered on its lower suf f ace uses which it had previously receives an impress on the offset cylinder;

Tli' chain-carried third grippers then sari-y the sheet onto the lower horizontal run of their triangular path, i1i which the grippers are sass-es to pn and drop the sheet, its ofilset printed and numbered sur ace uppermost, onto an automatically layered stack s platform on which the newly arrived sheet is aligned both longitudinally: and transversely by corner-jog? clearly in my aforesaid Patent 2,542,073.

As previously eipl aii' ei the main press frame includes generally vertical plate sections at opposite sides of the press.-

'The inlring mechanism is carriedb two further frames which may be removedfrom the press. v 7

An upper stationary frame com-prising interconnectediplates 859 (Fig. 2-) rests on cross bars 85!, 85Z carriedby the main frame. and each plate 950' of the upper stationary frame is spaced som what inwardly of its adjacent main frame plate 2 5. v

An upper movable iramecomprises interc'on nected plates 855, eachof these plates being located between its adjacent upper stationary frame plate 859 and mainframe plate 25; and the two intereonnectedplates 855' of the upper movable iram-e are pivotally mounted about the axis of the horizontal shaft 85'! carried by the upper stationary frame, as indicatedin Fig. 2.

The shaft 951 forms the central axis for the drive of mechanism carried by both the upper stationary frame and by the upper movable frame, and is itself driven through suitable gearing from the main cylinder.

An ink fountainindicated generals; at 869 (Fig. 1) carried by the stationary upper frame, is provided with an ink fountaifiroll 810 tvliiefli delive'ijs ink to a ductor 889 from which the ink is delivered sii csssion to a transfer roll 899 and a further transfer roll 89!. Ducto'rroll 8'86 i S" $W l :-ifig back and forth between ink fountain roll 810'and transfer roll 890 by means of a cam 8'8I carried by a continuously rotated shaft stz. The ink transfer mechanism, extending from the ink fountain to and including the transfer roll 89 I, is carried by the upper stationary frame comprised of plates 850.

The ink transfer roll 89! delivers ink to an oscillating distributor roll 393' on the shaft 851 at the axisor pivotal connection between the upper stationary frame and the upper movable frame.

Inktravels from the distributor roll 893 to a t'r aiisier roii asa; an oscillating distributor roll 895, a transfer roll 898, an oscillating distributor mi 990 ori shatt 991 a transfer roll 9), an osciilating distributor roll 9| I, a transfer roll 9|5, and as oscillating distributor roll 916 on a shaft 9 l 'l-,- all-of these rolls-having their shafts mounted iii the upper movable frame, and the distributor roli 89% also liaving its shaft mounted in the upper stationary frame.

Form rolls 929, 92! and 922 run in frictional contact with the distributor rolls 893, 999 and 9 l6, respectively. The shafts93li 93 l and 932. (Fig. 4)? of tfi's' forrn rol-ls are carries hangers 935, 9 stand- QBT, respectively, which are provided witii enlarged upper ends 'wlfiich ivotal-1y seat bosses eat 935 an respectivs si the upper tations-1 frame 850, as; more' fully as: scribedtmw. This mount g or the forrinfl roll hangers permits pivotal trio-i? of the" form ieiis aboutthe axes of the distrib roll shafts sis that the for rolls can move tow d arld'f use m cylinder whileremaining in operatnfe ciiritadt with their distributor rol ls. v

Eachiorlii rollha get iseciired Within its boss on the frame 859 by a dt'acha bleplate Thus Figs. 6 and 7 show the hanger est w ti its head portion fota'tably seated with-in possesses-11 seoil ed in this position by a? detachable plate 936?.

E formioll 920. 9 2 1 a eti'i i a its shaft ii-ieun-ieeiii its Hangers @35 9'36 93-1 by agi justable m'ountingsuch its-sho "i r s. sand '2 wherein the shaft 93 l of form roll 92 lj issho'w'iras mountedin a block 942; Block 9E2 is adjustable lengthwise of the bracket 936 by a set screw 943 td adjust the form roll into prep-er engagement with its-cooperating distributor roll. a

The pressure of contact of the form-ions 912d. 92! and 922 against the plate segment of the iiiaifi cylinder can be adjusted by set screws 94; (*Fig} 4 against which the hangers 9-353 936 and 931 abut in the operative positions of the rolls.

ini-idniiai running} or the press whii ti e shsets are being properly fed. sacrifofir'i roll 9-20, 92L 92 2 is in frictional contact with the lithographic plate on the passi-ri g'litl iog'faphic plate seg'ifient 4353f the main cymiser. t

-fririg assa' of theiiiibfession segment of themain cylilldi'el", samsilqwei disks 950 9"3l' aii d size (rig. 4) on the foifrn r'oll shafts 930*, sail and 932 make c nt ct with s ears 9'40 oil the main cylinder with the result of shifting the form rolls individually out of position tof con= tact \ivitl the impression segment 44. r Cam 94 0 on the main cylinder overlaps all of the impression segment 44' and'also the two gfaps between the impression segment 44 arid the litho; graphic plate segment 43 so that the form rolls neither Contact with the impression segment nor tend to drop into the gaps between segments of the main cylinder but operatively en age only the lithographic plate se ment 43. Each form roll is individually Shifted out of operative posttion by" the cam 940 as the form roll is reached by the trailing end of the lithographic plate segment 43 and each form roll is automaiicany re turned into operative position by a tension. spring 94! as the form roll is reached by the beginning end of the lithographic plate segment 43. Fig 4 shows all three form rolls simultaneously held out of contact with the impression segment by passage of the cam 949.

The upper movable frame comprising the plate member 855, 856, carrying ink transfer mechanism and distributor rolls for the main cylinder, and also carrying inking mechanism for a supplemental printing cylinder as hereinafter described, can be shifted about its pivot 851 to the elevated position of Fig. 2 to expose ordinarily inaccessible parts.

As indicated above, the distributor rolls 893, 988 and 9? are carried by the movable upper. frame 855, and when this frame is swung upwardly about shaft 851 both distributor rolls 908 and BIG accompany the upper movable frame and leave their corresponding form rolls 92! and 922.

Bosses 936 and 931 which pivotally support the hangers 936 and 931 of form rolls 92| and 922,

and also the detachable plates, such as plate 936, which retain the form roll hangers in place in these bosses, are provided with slots indicated at 938 (Fig. '1). These slots have sides which are arcuate and concentric with shaft 851, and permit the distributor roll shafts 90l and 9H to enter and leave these slots as the upper frame 855 swings around shaft 851.

The upper ends of hangers 936 and 931 are also forked to receive the distributor roll shafts 901 and 9H at the axes of pivotal movement of these hangers when the upper movable frame is in its lower position, and these forked portions of hangers 936 and 931 are shaped so as not to interfere with the entrance or exit of shafts 90! or 9|1 into or from the bosses 936 and 931 in any of the angular positions of the hangers 936 and 931.

Rods 849 (Fig. 2), at opposite sides of the press, are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the cross bar 952 of the stationary main frame 25, and are threaded into internally threaded worm wheels 842 (Fig. 3). Worm wheels 842 are engaged by worms 843 on a cross shaft 844, each worm wheel and the shaft 844 bein secured to the upper movable frame 855 b a retaining bracket 845 pivotally mounted on the frame 855 at 846. A crank arm 841 on shaft 844 enables the worm wheels 842 to be rotated to screw them up and down the rods 840, thus raising and lowering the upper movable frame 855 and the parts carried thereby. In the raised position of Fig. 2 many normally inaccesible parts of the press are exposed, for example, the form rolls for the main cylinder, and the supplemental printing cylinder subsequently described.

Control of inking mechanism The inking mechanism is prevented from inking the lithographic plate during continued running of the machine after a sheet has failed to be fed.

Referring to Fig. 4, each of the hangers 935, 936 and 931 shown therein for carrying the form rolls is provided with a cam follower roller 950. A segmental plate 952 is slidable in an arcuate path upon pins 953 which are mounted in the upper stationary side plate 858 and extend through arcuate slots 954 in the segmental plate. Cut-out portions 956 of the segmental plate 952 normally clear the cam follower rollers 958 and are provided with inclined cam surface portions 956 adapted to contact with and lift the cam Qil , rotatable in the upper stationary side plate 850,

and the left end of the bell crank 96! is formed as a handle 96! for convenient resetting of the mechanism.

A lever 965 is forked at its lower end so as to straddle a squared outer end of the shaft 962 which carries the bell crank 96l, and is pivotally mounted thereon by means of a pin 9 65 so that its upper portion can swing toward'and away from the observer in Fig. 4. The upper end of lever 965 carries a cam follower roller 966 adapted to make contact with a cam surface 961 on a plate cam 968 which is carried by the continuously rotating shaft 882 (Fig. 1). A coil spring 918 acting on the lever 965 and upon an enlarged head 965 of the pivot pin 965 yieldingly urges the upper end of the lever 965 away from the observer in Fig. 4 and toward the left in Fig. 5 to carry the cam follower roller 966 into position to be engaged by cam surface 961. When this engagement takes place the cam surface 961 turns the lever 965, shaft 962 and bell crank 96l counterclockwise from Fig. 4, thrusting the connecting link 960 and segmental plate 952 to the right thus throwing the form rolls out of operative position.

In normal feeding of the sheets, such throwing out of the form rolls is prevented by electrically actuated mechanism actuated by the application of pressure to the offset cylinder and hence, indirectly, by the continuous proper feeding of sheets to the press.

The electrically actuated mechanism is fully illustrated and described in my aforesaid patent.

Manual rotation of the shaft 984 may be employed to disconnect the follower roller 966 from the cam surface 961 in returning the form rolls to operative position. When the follower roller 965 has been disengaged from the cam surface 961, the form rolls may be returned to operative position by manually lifting the handle portion 96H of bell crank lever 96l.

I claim:

1. In a lithographic press, a cylinder adapted to hold a lithographic plate, a plurality of ink form rolls adapted to cooperate with said cylinder, an ink fountain, a plurality of distributor rolls normally running in contact with the respective form rolls, a frame on which a plurality of said distributor rolls are mounted, said frame being pivotally mounted upon the axis of another of said distributor rolls, stationary frame means on which said ink fountain, said other distributor roll and said ink form rolls are mounted, means on said stationary frame means for carrying ink from said fountain to said other distributor roll, and means on said pivotally mounted frame for carrying ink between the several distributor rolls.

2. In a lithographic press a cylinder adapted to hold a lithographic plate, an ink form roll adapted to cooperate with said cylinder, a stationary frame, a hanger pivotally mounted in said stationary frame and carrying said form roll, a movable frame pivotally associated with the stationary frame, and a distributor. roll adapted to cooperate with said form roll, said distributor roll including a shaft mounted in said movable frame, and said hanger for the formroll being; shaped; to receive the distributor. roll sl'iaft- -:ar.t-- the of. pivotal. movementuofl said hanger 'and to permit said distributor. roll to movewith: said movablev frame into and. out. of position to engage said formiroll.

3. In 'alithographic. press a. cylinder adapted to holda lithographic plate, an ink. form r011 adapted: to cooperate with. said cylinder, a. star tionary frame, a hanger carryingsaidv form roll, saidistationary frame including a. boss in which said hanger is pivotally mounted, and a. dis.- tributorrolladapted to cooperate with said-form roll, said. distributor. roll. including a shaft mountedin said: movable frame, and :said hanger ferthe formrolllbeing ,shaped to receive the distributor roll: shaft at-the: axis of pivotal: move.- ment-of' said hanger and. said. boss being slotted td-:permit the distributor roll. to move with said movableframe'into and out of. position to, engage saidform roll.

ROY F. ABERLE.

REFERENGES CITED The-following references: are-offrecord-in the file" of this: patent: I

UNI'TED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 7H3,969; North. Y V- Nov. 1,,1904 1,797,354 Marquardt. Mar/24, 1 931 2,009,687 Cottrell, ;July 30, 1935 2,069,613 Koppe Eeb. 16, 1937 2,128,360 Harroldret al. i Aug. 370, 193.3 2,1 2,812 Harrold et-al. ,r ..lune,.2fi,t .939 2,356,958 Hunting V V .Aug. 15r19l44 2,387,750 Davidson Qct. 30, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 255,203 Great Britain 4 July 22', 1926 

